Longevity - what happens in the end?

[Vicker]

I've had a couple of old ones that just seemed to die in their sleep. On the topic of egg production, the quality and quantity will go down as they age past their prime. The eggs get larger but the shells get thinner. You can't necessarily count on having a good supply of eggs for 4-5 yrs. I have two birds that slowed down significantly at 3 yrs. I've rarely gotten an egg from them over the past 2 yrs.

 

[illinoishiker]

Yeah, you need calmer breeds. There are really productive but there are other breeds nearly as productive and much calmer and maybe even friendly. RIR are the crankiest chickens going in my experience. Do some research on breeds. You might want to give these to a home where they can free range. You'd be so much happier with friendly calm chickens.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have only had one die from old age, and he appears to have fallen asleep. Unfortunately his spurs were so long and curved that he caught the roost and we found him stuck.

We had a red star that lived to 9, before she started to really circle the drain. She laid until 8, but not nearly as well as the first 3 years. She could still be with the flock until her accidental death (cow stepped on her), but if she got knocked off balance she couldn't get up again.

Chickens can live a long life if you get lucky and keep them safe and healthy. I had one male live to 10, one that's 8 or 9, one I culled that was 7 or 8 and one that's at least 7, plus a 5th that is 5 or 6 now. I've got hens in that range too and only one has stopped laying permanently.

 

[twagoner]

My oldest girls are an English hen and an Easteregger. They free range and are around 8 years old. They seem to be the healthiest hens in my yard, as I think they’re immune to all the diseases the other hens have caught over the years. Survival of the fittest..... They truly amaze me.

 

[birdlady11]

I'm glad to hear that you plan on keeping your older girls until they pass away. My two oldest are sisters and they're going on 15 years! I keep thinking every year will be their last but they just keep going. But remember - aging chickens are just like aging humans. As the body ages, things start to not work so well (including the immune system, the digestive system, eyesight, hearing), arthritis can set in, balance can become a problem.

Most humans unfortunately do not pass away peacefully in their sleep and chickens are the same way. Because you find a chicken dead on the floor of the coop in the morning doesn't mean it died peacefully in its sleep and then fell off. I've had older hens with balance issues who in the night fell from their perch and the impact of hitting the ground caused a fatal injury that killed her (ruptured organ or punctured lung). I've learned to make adjustments for older hens like ramps to lower perches for them, nest boxes on the ground that they can sleep in instead, etc.

You must be prepared to assess the quality of life of your aging chickens and be prepared to euthanize them when you see signs of failing health (loss of appetite or weight, painful joints, etc). It's very hard to make the decision that the time has come to say goodbye but just waiting for them to die on their own can sometimes be a long and painful wait for your chicken.